Letters to the editor

I watched in horror as the tragedy of 9/11 unfolded before my eyes and that of millions of Americans. So many lives lost in a preventable disaster. As I reflect on 9/11 and how many lives were changed as a result, I am still amazed that 10 years afterwards, former President George Bush and Dick Cheney have not yet been made accountable for their actions.

As the child of a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe, brought to the U.S. by her older brothers in the mid-30s, I reflect on my mother's life saved from being yet another victim of Hitler's vengeance. She never forgot her early life and that of losing an older sister and her family, who perished during the Holocaust.

Tragedy brings people closer together. I cried hearing the song 'I'm Proud to be an American,' by Lee Greenwood, as this shocking and disturbing event unfolded before our very eyes on national television. I reflected on what the song meant to me, personally. I cried even more.

Until 10 years ago, America had not been attacked for nearly 60 years. What has each of us learned about life from the events of 9/11? Do we take life and people we love and care about for granted?

It is only for each of us to learn from history once again.

JACQUELINE LERNER ADERMAN

Tigard

It's time to ban air shows, prevent future tragedies

At a recent air show in Reno, Nev., similar to the annual Hillsboro Air Show, an antique plane crashed into the crowd and injured 75 spectators - 35 of them critically and some are at risk of dying from this tragedy.

Air shows that sell tickets for profit in this day and age are ludicrous at best.

The men and women who fly these planes are skilled and talented at what they do, but to exploit those skills for profit is plain and simply wrong and barbaric.

It wasn't that many years ago that a pilot at the Hillsboro Air Show was taking off in his antique plane, lost control of the plane and crashed into a house not far from the Hillsboro airport, killing the pilot and destroying the home.

These air shows should be banned once and for all. There is almost never a year that passes that somewhere in the world a tragedy occurs at one of these air shows.

Ban these ridiculous, dangerous shows once and for all.

JAMES MAASS

Beaverton

Grandmother thanks driver for aiding stranded woman

Today our granddaughter had a tire 'blow-out' on Highway 26 near the Oregon Zoo in Portland.

She was in freeway traffic, and it scared her badly. She called us in Austin, Texas, nearly 2,000 miles away, not knowing what else to do without any money.

A lady stopped to ask if she needed help and stayed with our granddaughter until help arrived.

We do not know the name of this lady, but we will always be indebted to her for staying by and 'protecting' our granddaughter.

Thank you very much for not leaving our granddaughter alone on the edge of a busy freeway - may God bless you.